The nation, according to Benedict Anderson, “is an imagined
political community” that is “imagined as both inherently limited
and sovereign.” This course will examine literature from former
colonial powers and newly independent countries to see how the
novels “imagine” the future of the nation-state. We will consider
how issues of “difference” have evolved and been articulated in
specific geopolitical sites. In other words, who gets imagined as
part of the nation and who gets left out of certain definitions?
Despite coming from various geopolitical contexts, the novels on the
reading list represent the historical realities and cultural legacy
of colonialism, one aspect of which is the spread of English. We
will discuss how a number of writers strategically use English (the
language of one set of colonizers) to create a new, even separate,
literary tradition, which distinguishes itself from the British and
Anglo-American canons. We will look at how Anglo-American cultural
hegemony has been ensured not just through the institutions of
colonialism but also through the domination of western popular
culture in so-called “third world markets.” This flow of ideas from
the colonial centers into the (former) colonies has not been one-
way. Thus, we will also consider how colonialism and emigration
have had an impact on the English language, augmenting its
vocabulary and transforming the definitions of words.

We will situate the works within their historical contexts, paying
particular attention to dependency theories and the effects of
colonial economic development. Throughout the course, we will
address the problematics behind such terms as “post-
colonial,” “commonwealth,” “national
literature,” “center/metropolis,” “magical realism,” “periphery,”
and “Third World.”

Students should expect to take three exams and write 10-12 page
paper.